


Meet Me at Mary's Place

by QueenOfHearts57



Category: White Collar
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-04
Updated: 2011-02-04
Packaged: 2017-10-15 09:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/159511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfHearts57/pseuds/QueenOfHearts57
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>June and Elizabeth had been planning this event for months, and just like that, the whole thing had gone to pieces. Well, Neal could not very well just sit by and watch all the hard work the ladies had gone to wash away to nothing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meet Me at Mary's Place

**Author's Note:**

> The lyrics later on are Bruce Springsteen's "Mary's Place"

June and Elizabeth had been planning this event for months, and just like that, the whole thing had gone to pieces.

You see, after Samantha had gone through the harrowing process of needing a kidney transplant and being bumped and even removed from the transplant list entirely at one point, June decided that there were plenty of other kids out there that could use some help. Plus, a little awareness about the situations some children were facing never hurt anyone either, she had argued.

So, June, being the philanthropist that she was, teamed up with Elizabeth and together they planned a fundraising event to be held outside a local church; funded, of course, by June herself.

Of course immediately both women were bubbling with amazing ideas and attractions for the children and their families and also, of course, for those who would be donating, as oftentimes the amount of money these events raised depended not on the cause you were supporting, but more so with how well executed said event was. In basic terms, the more enjoyable the event, the more likely people are to donate.

And so the date of the event had finally arrived, and as Neal had watched and even helped out with the set-up of the booths and games and a stage full of speakers and even live entertainment, he could not help but notice that everything looked absolutely amazing. This event was sure to be a hit.

And then it had started raining.

But no, this was not your ordinary everyday rainstorm. No, it had not only begun raining, it had started pouring. Barely 25 minutes into the event the skies had literally opened up and the place was deserted as a ghost town, everyone taking cover under whatever shelter they could find. June and El's event had literally drowned before it had even really begun.

Well, Neal could not very well just sit by and watch all the hard work the ladies had gone to wash away to nothing. No, he was Neal Caffrey, and he'd be damned if he just stood by and watched this thing die when he could have done something to save it.

'Think, Neal, think', his mind told him. 'There has to be a way, something you can do. There's always something'.

He wracked his brain, looking around at what he had to work with. He was a conman for God's sake. If he couldn't think of something on the spot to save this poor event, then who could?

'Let's see, what do we have?' His eyes flicked frantically around the lawn, brain working furiously to try to come up with something, anything, that he could use to spark an idea. People were leaving, and leaving quickly, losing faith that the rain would stop anytime soon. After all, what was there do to at an outside event when you can't leave the cover of whatever shelter or pavilion roof you could squish underneath?

'I have got to find a way to get these people out and enjoying themselves, even if it is in the rain; make it worth their while'.

His eyes flicked to where Peter and El had taken cover, under a little alcove across from where he was currently taking shelter underneath the overhang that read "St. Mary's's Church of God". El looked devastated, and Peter at a loss as to how he could help, though as his gaze met Neal's, Neal could tell how desperately he wished he could fix this for her.

Neal's gaze flicked around to the soppy ground, the fliers blowing around everywhere, the large banner he had helped paint drooping off of the deserted stage...

The Stage.

'That's it!', Neal thought. 'That's how we get this party started again!'

Neal's mind immediately began storming, his brain clicking away everything he would need and simultaneously cataloguing how to go about acquiring said items.

PETER'S POV

He could not believe everything had gone so horribly, so fast. One minute, everything is going by smoothly, perfectly even, and the next it had all gone to Hell in a hand-basket, to put it bluntly.

He held El close as her and June's hard work began literally washing away around her, not sure of what else he could do to be there for her, and desperately wishing he could just rush out there and fix it all. But this wasn't a case for the FBI and he wasn't calling the shots. There was absolutely nothing he could do about rain, he wasn't a miracle worker after all.

He met Neal's gaze and could see the younger man felt just as bad as he did about this whole mess. Neal looked as though he was grasping at straws, trying frantically, just as he was, to come up with something to rescue the day and all their hard work and, again, coming up just as empty as he was.

But then, he saw the look.

That Neal Caffrey "I-have-a-crazy-yet-ingenious-way-to-solve-the-unsolvable-problem" glint in his eye that could only mean one of two things. Neal was about to do either something incredibly clever or incredibly stupid. And before Peter was even able to shout his name, Neal was on the move, putting his plan into action before the situation was too far gone for even him to save.

Neal sprinted out from under the relative safety of his spot underneath the church's sign over to where the musicians had taken shelter off in one of the corners of the stage that was covered and immediately began buzzing in a few ears.

Seconds later, the musicians were up and setting up their equipment, trying to keep everything as dry and covered as possible, while Neal ran to turn on all of the speakers and make sure everything was in order. Whatever the kid had said to them, they were certainly eager and on board with the whole thing. Then suddenly, it dawned on Peter; he could not believe the kid had the guts to try and do this.

'Then again', he thought wryly, 'nothing he does should surprise me anymore'.

"What is he doing?", El asked. She had noticed Neal's antics and was wondering at what he could possibly be doing in all of this rain, and intrigued at the same time. Her eyes lit up; if Neal could come up with some way to turn all of this around, she would be on board.

"I think he's trying to save the day, in typical Neal fashion. He's going to go off on his own and do something completely ridiculous to get everybody's attention, and then he's going to pray to God that everything else falls into place."

Once everyone seemed to be ready, without preamble, the band began to play a lighthearted tune starting slow and becoming much livelier as they went. Neal walked to the microphone at the edge of the stage, already soaked and fully exposed to the elements, and began to sing:

"I got seven pictures of Buddha  
The prophet's on my tongue  
Eleven angels of mercy  
Sighin' over that black hole in the sun"

He started out quietly, but slowly began picking up volume, gaining confidence,

"My heart's dark but it's risin'  
I'm pullin' all the faith I can see  
From that black hole on the horizon  
I hear your voice calling me"

Immediately, the previously somber party-goers' attention was perked. Heads shot up to see this crazy stranger standing alone in the pouring rain, singing like he hadn't a care in the world.

"Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain  
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain"

And then suddenly, the place exploded with sound, the previously lighthearted song becoming more and more lively. The volume picked up, as did the tempo, and every person in the area could not help but bounce along to the tune of the song.

"Meet me at Mary's place  
We're gonna have a party!"

Peter was amazed. Just by finding the courage to sing in front of hundreds of people, Neal had captured everyone's attention. But, as Peter looked around, it wasn't going to be enough. Neal would keep the people entertained for some time, but after awhile, even this wasn't going to be enough. Eventually people would get bored and tired of hiding from the rain and at that point even Neal's entertainment wouldn't be enough to keep them here. Something else had to happen.

Neal had done his part, he had gotten everyone's attention, and given them a reason to second guess their decision to leave. Now, it was time for someone else to take a risk and seal the deal by sending this thing to the next level.

And so, Peter took a deep breath, and prepared to do something very un-Peter-like. Something spontaneous. Something ridiculous. Something to help his wife and his best friend.

He had better do it fast before he changed his mind.

Before he could waste any more time debating the merits of this decision, he grabbed his wife's hand and ran out to the area below the stage and began to twirl her around to the beat of the music.

NEAL'S POV

Well, there was no turning back now. Once he had set this plan into motion he knew that he couldn't very well stop if it didn't go as he planned. Either he was going to succeed in saving this event or he was going to succeed in making himself look like an absolute fool in front of a few hundred people, many of which included his co-workers and friends.

As he began singing, he was pleased to see that he had captured their attention at least, certainly less people were filing out now, but it wasn't enough. Neal knew how people ticked, and if something didn't happen to send this thing over the edge, and soon, they would become just as bored with it as they were a few moments ago. There had to be some way to actually get everyone engaged in what was happening instead of just watching.

And then, as if Peter could read his mind, he was saved.

Just as he belted the words, "Tell me, how do we get this thing started?", Peter grabbed El's hand and ran her out into the mud and rain to dance.

After that, it was like a domino effect. Seeing this, and knowing exactly what Neal and Peter were trying to do, June grabbed Samantha's hand and followed them out to dance with her. Others began to follow suit, throwing caution to the wind and running out to dance in the rain with their loved ones. At first, it was just the few people from the bureau; Diana and Christy, Jones and his date, even a few of the probies from organized crime, but, as the rest of the events attendees saw how much fun the small group of people was having frolicking in the mud to the beat of the music, more and more people began running out from their respective shelters to dance, until there was not a dry body in the whole place.

Neal could not believe it. His crazy plan had actually worked!

As the song ended and the band began to pick up another on their own, Neal looked out over the crowd and he could not help the big grin that covered his face. There they were, hundreds of people out in the rain and the mud, dancing like they couldn't have cared less about the weather, when just minutes before they were all cowering under whatever cover they could find. And they all looked genuinely happy, all smiles and giggles.

Peter must have noticed him staring, because he suddenly stopped twirling Elizabeth and called his name to get his attention, waving him over.

He hopped off the stage and weaved through the crowd, receiving claps on the back and congratulations on a job well done as he passed the now very lively party-goers. When he approached the couple he sought out, El broke away from her husband's embrace and darted over to Neal, giving him a huge hug and a quick peck on the cheek, positively bubbling with excitement over how he had managed to save the event.

After many hugs and thanks, she sought out June so that they could re-work a few things to adapt to their new circumstances and finish the salvaging of their fundraiser, leaving Peter and Neal alone to take in the drastic change that they had helped facilitate.

Peter turned to Neal.

"That was a good thing you did. You really made their day", Peter clapped him on the shoulder as they watched the two women conversing in excitement over their new plans.

"Nah, it wasn't much. I just worked with what I had, which happened to be a soppy stage and a few musicians that were more than happy to do what they had volunteered for." Neal told him wryly.

"All the same", Peter replied, "it was still an amazing thing you did. Not many people would have had the guts to do something like that, and even fewer would have actually been able to pull it off had they even tried."

Neal just smiled and shrugged the comment off, filing it away for further review later, when he had a chance to think about everything that had happened that day; preferably after a shower, some dry clothes, and a glass of wine. "Thanks for having my back by the way, I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't led everyone out to dance there, Mr. Swayze." Neal informed him with a small laugh.

"Hey, that was not anything even near dirty dancing! And you would have come up with something, I'm sure. What I'm not sure of is whether or not it would have been entirely legal." Peter told him with a mock stern look.

"Hah", Neal agreed, "I was getting a little desperate..." he said, letting the implications of that statement hang, and letting Peter come up with whatever horror story he deemed appropriate. "But you do have to admit, you have some moves!" Neal said, shaking his hips in a mock Peter imitation. At that, Peter cuffed him lightly on the head and they both shared a laugh.

"If you say so", replied Peter.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Neal returned to his original train of thought.

"Seriously though, thanks for doing that. Believe me, I know, it's a lot harder to do something completely spontaneous like that than you would think", Neal confessed to him with an earnest look.

Peter gave Neal a warm smile and wrapped his arm around Neal's shoulders, despite Neal's grimace at the added wetness of his soggy shirtsleeve, and gave him a friendly squeeze. "No problem partner, I got your back."

Needless to say, the St. Mary's Children's charity was a complete success, raising a good deal of money and awareness for children's medicine. And Neal and Peter managed to have a good time saving the day as well.

The End!


End file.
